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So you like hot chillies?

In the left corner, Mad Dog’s 357 Hot Sauce, and the right corner, Pete’s homemade chilli sauce.

We’ll get onto who won in a moment.

Now I love hot chilli sauce. And with 357,000 Scoville heat units, Mad Dog’s 357 packs a mouth burning, tear inducing wallop. This is a sauce which you use with care. This is a sauce that the manufacturer has written a disclaimer for. In short, it’s nasty stuff.

In the right corner, Pete’s homemade chilli sauce. A sauce which you can use as a sauce, and still get some kick. Not enough kick to make you cry though. The lack of habanero peppers probably explains that. It has cayenne peppers instead. It’s about half as hot as the Mad Dog 357, and that makes it my winner.

I thought there was no hot sauce I could not stand. The Mad Dog 357 Sauce proved me wrong.

Add sugar.
Add vinegar
Add salt
Add cayenne pepper
Peel garlic, rough chop and add to pot.
Add rough chopped onion.
Place cloves in a new (or very clean) chux. Tie up end and place into pot.
Bring pot to boil (don’t worry, there is enough liquid to get started).
Keep on a hard simmer for at least an 1.5 – 2 hrs, but stir every few mins so nothing sits at bottom for too long. The longer you can keep it simmering here the thicker your sauce will be (you do not want runny sauce!). You want to boil as much liquid off as you can. During this time the contents will turn to mush. but while there is clear liquid on top, keep on good simmer.
(Note: Do not let anything get caught and burn at bottom, it will ruin the taste of the whole pot).
Once everything has broken down (garlic and onions will still be in larger pieces) and the liquid on top starts to be thicker…

REMOVE cloves in chux!!!!

Get a bamix and moulie sauce to a fine consistency.
Turn down the heat to as LOW as you can and keep stirring every 5 mins or so and keep on low simmer until the colour turns to a darker red/brown. This may take another hour or more.
Once colour and consistency is correct. Bottle the sacue while hot.

Bottling Notes:Thoroughly clean and rinse bottles.
Place and a lightly warm oven (30 degrees) for about 30 mins (or until glass is hot and dry).
Fill with sauce and allow to cool for a while.
Place lids on tightly and if any condensation occurrs while cooling, give bottle a shake before storing.
Refrigerate after opening a bottle.

Chilli Sauce Notes:Basically I replace half the tomatoes with Granny Smith apples, this lightens the sauce and stops it being a “Tomato” flavour. I also add a bunch of chillies — hottest I can get, but you can put in as much as you like — I also add things like lime to brighten the flavour… play around with tastes you like and see what you can come up with.